In sportfishing, trolling is a technique which is used extensively to fish at the surface of the water and also to fish much deeper for species of fish which normally forage at greater depths in salt and fresh water bodies of water. Lake trout are an example of a fresh water species which feed at depths which can range to 60 feet or more from the surface. To this end, it is conventional for a fisherman to secure a relatively large weight or sinker to the end of a fishing line and then attach an artificial or natural bait which will be maintained substantially at a predetermined depth. Sinkers used in Great Lakes fishing are typically spherical, non-split anchors generally weighing 24 or 32 ounces and having retainers or eyelets at their top ends for engaging the fishing line.
Because of their inherent size and shape, fishermen have encountered some drawbacks in the handling of such sinker balls. For example, in preparing for a fishing outing, setting up of fishing equipment involves juggling a rod, line and bait while accessing sinker balls from a box or the like which might not be ideally located relative to the set up location. Also, in reeling in a fish that has been caught, the fishing line is raised causing the sinker ball to swing precariously back and forth. From a safety standpoint, it is important to control the sinker ball so that it does not injure the head or body of someone on the boat, and is not tripped upon if it is deposited on the deck and rolls thereon.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a storage device which is normally conveniently mounted on different portions of a fishing boat to enable convenient and reliable storage and retrieval of sinker balls in a manner which overcomes the drawbacks set forth above.